Star Wars: The Dark Side and The Light
by Dr.Malcolm112
Summary: Set during the Force Awakens. After being captured by Kylo Ren and the First Order, Rey finds herself the prisoner of the mysterious warrior. But as her chances of rescue and escape become slimmer and slimmer, she must fight the pull of the dark side- even as her captor fights the pull of the light. KyloXRey
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note-**_

 **Hello! Welcome to my The Force Awakens fanfiction. For those of you who have read my previous Star Wars fanfic, Fall of The Jedi Order, I am terribly sorry for your wait. I had been writing it with a friend, and we had a bit of a falling out. Since then we've made up, but for now, it seems that story is to remain in a long-term hiatus. Terribly sorry once again! I promise not to let that happen here, and hopefully me and him will be picking that story back up eventually.**

 **Now! Onto a few notes. This story starts in the interrogation scene, however after that expect some major canon divergency. The Resistance doesn't know the location of Starkiller Base, and therefore can't rescue Rey. And likewise, the First Order doesn't know the location of the Resistance, so they are safe- for now.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoy the story!**

 **Much love,**

 **112**

 _ **-Rey-**_

The scavenger's head swam and numbed and thawed all at once as she tried to appear asleep. She was harnessed, bound to some kind of machine, of that she was certain. And, somehow, she could almost _sense_ another's presence in… Wherever she was. A dark presence, a mesh of anger, a ball of hatred, of unrefined, uncontrolled rage. Unable to feign sleep any longer, she opened her eyes.

And their he was. Kylo Ren. The creature that stalked her in the woods, that hunted her from Jakku, that had brought her here. She was alone with him in a small room, dark, and uniform, and grey. In the few silent moments that had crept by, a sense of claustrophobia had come crushing down upon her. She suddenly grew extremely aware of the monster before her's eyes- if it even had eyes beneath that mask- staring directly at her.

After a few more moments, moments that crept on for hours, Rey spoke, unable to remain quiet any longer. "Where am I?" Her voice was choked, but she was silently proud that the words came out at all.

"You're my guest." The words that came from the dark figure before her were robotic and gnarled by the mask, adding to the intimidation that seemed to define his mere presence. She hard felt terror, real terror, in the woods when he had appeared, and now the same nauseating feeling made itself into her heart. Before Rey could speak, Ren stood, and extended his gloved hand towards her. At first, Rey expected his fist to strike her, but instead, she felt a much more intense pain, a much more personal pain, as if her skull was crushing down upon her brain, like some dull blade pierced into her.

 _It's him. It's the Force. He wants the map to Skywal-_

Rey's thoughts were cut short by Kylo Ren's voice. "You're afraid."

"That is what happens when you're hunted by a _creature_ in a mask." She bit out, the pain behind her eyes growing with each passing second. But suddenly, the dark phantom before her dropped his hand, and the pain dissapeared in a instant, and she very nearly lost her vision for a moment from the sudden change. His gloved hands rose and, to Rey's immense surprise, he removed his mask, revealing not some twisted and gnarled figure, or grisly alien, but… A man. One with as fair a skin as her, albeit much paler, and dark, but very much human eyes. Onyx black hair fell down to his shoulders, and his handsome face stared back at her, his pale, thin lips a had line above his firm jaw.

Rey hard trouble stopping herself from saying ' _Oh'._

She must have released some expression of surprise because, just as Ren placed his mask upon the stand besides him, he scowled deeply, twisting his boyish, handsome face into a furrowed, angry cover.

"Why am I here?" She asked, then immediately questioned why she had asked that, when she knew very well why the First Order wanted her.

"We know you have seen the map," Ren began, his voice much softer, much less intimidating without the mask, "To Skywalker. We have the rest, taken from the ruins of the Empire, and now, you will give it to the First Order. The droid alluded us, but somehow, you convinced it to give you it's information. You, a scavenger." He spit out the last words, and Rey felt her heart twist.

Once more, she felt herself be reminded that she was just a scavenger. Then, just as the thought entered her mind, it left, and defiance took it's place.

"I'll never give you it." She said venomously, and Ren scowled deeper at her. He leaned in closer, and his breath, angry and hot, wafted through the air.

"I will take what I want." He leaned back, and once more lifted his gloved hand towards her. The intense probing of her mind began again, and she felt her head slam against the back of the apparatus she was bound to. Her brain felt raw, and she fought back tears. Life on Jakku hard been tough, and survival itself was a struggle, but never had she felt such immense pain in her life. The man before her, only a few years her senior, thirty at most, showed no sign of remorse for what he was doing. In fact, somehow, in the back of her mind, she could sense he was enjoying it.

Suddenly, a vision, an ocean, and an island, and… Someone, someone important, she could sense, came into view, seemingly as real as her captor.

"Don't be afraid." Kylo Ren said, his smooth voice almost comforting. He nodded ever so slightly. "I feel it too."

She tried desperately to resist, to fight his piercing, but to no avail. Her friends were counting on her, the Resistance itself was depending on her strength, but she could not resist the power of the man before her.

Suddenly, the piercing, searing pain in her head ebbed slightly, and Kylo Ren spoke once more, his voice softer this time, and much quieter. "You're so lonely." Rey focused her vision on his eyes, and behind the storm that raged, and behind the anger, she saw empathy. Loneliness that matched her own. And, for a brief second, she saw regret. "You dream of an end. A sleep that lasts forever. An ocean." Suddenly, the softness of his voice died, replaced by a hard, passionate tone, and the pain soared to new heights as Rey barely fought back a scream. "And an island. Yes, I see him. And you imagine Han Solo," He practically spat out the name, "As the father you never had. He would have dissapointed you." He spoke the last words matter of factly, almost tauntingly.

Suddenly, Rey felt something rise up inside, her, and she felt herself becoming somehow connected to Kylo Ren, as if she somehow had access into his mind, just as he had access to hers. She gritted her teeth angrily, and fought to lean forward, away from where she was bound.

She reached foward with the Force, and saw into his mind. She didn't feel a torrent of rage, or a cold, calculating swath of power, but only… Sadness. And more than anything else, inadequacy. Fear that he would never live up to… Darth Vader?

"You're afraid." She said, trying to sound sure of herself, confident and strong, when really, she was confused. "Afraid you will be never be as strong as _Darth Vader!"_ She bit out, and Kylo Ren nearly fell back, his hand dropping to his side as Rey leaned back, her mind no longer probed, even as sweat beaded down her face, and a cold sweat caused shivers to run up and down her spine.

Ren opened his mouth to speak, but merely growled, before turning and putting on his helmet. He took two steps towards the door before turning his head ever so slightly, the mask even more terrifying drenched in shadows.

"Before your time is done, desert rat, I will show you the dark side. And then, you will know true fear." His words were bathed in rage, and his voice, made so by his mask, was like a clap of rolling thunder. As he left, the metallic door making a quiet _swoosh_ as it opened then quickly closed, Rey fought back tears, terrified of what the future might hold, even as her mind reeled with wonder at how she had entered his thoughts.

 _ **-Kylo Ren-**_

 _How had_ _I been so stupid!?_ Kylo Ren shouted to himself in his own head, a war raging beneath his mask. _I let that insolent desert rat invade my own mind! I am a sith! A master of the Knights of Ren, but yet that untrained wench bested me?! Ghaw!_

More than once he nearly cut a passing stormtrooper in two with a swing of his blade, but he resisted for no other reason than because he didn't want that scavenger to sense it and feel some kind of satisfaction at his reaction. Angrily, he stormed off towards the holo-deck to speak with his master.

The automatic doors slid open, and Kylo Ren found that Supreme Leader Snoke, in holographic form, as per usual, sat waiting.

 _That little worm General Hux must have already contacted him. To spread rumors behind my back, no doubt._ Ren cursed the General in his own mind, before continuing forward towards the Supreme Leader.

"Have you retrieved the map, my apprentice?" Snoke asked, his voice booming across the domed room.

Just as Ren's mouth opned to repsond, Hux practically appeared behind him.

"No, he hasn't. It seems Ren deemed the girl enough, and let the droid escape. I have no doubt it is already in the hands of the Resistance." As he finished, he stepped up besides Ren, bowing his head slightly at the Supreme Leader. "Please, Supreme Leader, let me use the weapon now against the New Republic. Let us punish them for allowing the Resistance to oppose us. Perhaps then they will come out of hiding and we will be able to crush them."

The Supreme Leader was silent for a few moments as he thought, before finally speaking. "Go, oversee preparations, General. But do not fire the weapon. Not yet. Merely ready the weapon, then we shall wait." Hux bowed his head once more, a small, demented smile adorning his lips, before he turned and quickly walked away. Ren knew Hux wished to obliterate the New Republic, to burn away all it stood for, and he sensed that Hux truly believed his superweapon was the best way to do that. Although Hux may have wished to fire it now, merely preparing it and waiting was an impovement, in the sadistic General's eyes. After he was gone, Snoke spoke, his voice a mixture of bewilderment and controlled anger. "That girl resisted you?"

"She is strong with the Force. Untrained, but stronger than she knows." Ren said, his eyes blazing wiht anger. Not at the Supreme Leader, but at the very thought of **her.**

The Supreme Leader was silent for several more moments, before he locked his eyes with Ren. "So, she was the disturbance in the Force." Snoke said, less a question and more a broad statement directed to himself.

"What are we to do?" Ren asked.

"She could be a valuable asset, or our downfall." Snoke began. "I fear Skywalker may already be lost to us, sooner now than ever before to be found by the Resistance. No matter," Snoke suddenly said, a new plan forming in his mind. "Let him once more join his heathenous friends. Soon, we will have a weapon capable of bringing about his and the Reistance's downfall." A small, evil smile caressed Snoke's lips. Ren found one forming upon his own. "She is untested in the Force?"

"Yes, Supreme Leader. Untrained, and unknowing of the dark side, or the light." Ren said.

"Then you will show her." Snoke commanded. Ren smiled and bowed his head.

"Yes, my master."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note-**_

 _ **Thanks for all the love given to the story so far. I have a lot of plans for the story, and sincerely hope you've been enjoying it. I apologize for any grammatical errors in part one, and promise to commit myself to do more spell checks, since google drive has an awful habit of autocorrecting my words into something totally different, because screw me, that's why. Anyways, here's part two.**_

 _ **Much love,**_

 _ **112**_

 _ **-Rey-**_

Rey had been left alone for what felt like hours. She knew a guard- no, two- had been posted outside her doors, but they were too far for her to even began to tap into with the Force. She had remembered stories about the Jedi she had heard as a child, stories that told of the ability to influence the weak minded, and maybe, just maybe, if one had been closer she may have been able to try, but the two were much too far away.

 _No doubt that monster did so on purpose_. Even as Rey thought it, though, she felt conflicted.

Everything about their meeting at had been surprising to her. His appearance most certainly shocked her, and the feeling of loneliness, and of inadequacy, was certainly not what the young woman expected to find. In truth, as she sat, strapped painfully to the apparatus, with nothing better to do than to think about her captor, she found more and more the emotions she found within Kylo Ren's mind were no different than the ones she herself felt.

 _Was he truly a monster?_

But, just as soon as she thought it, she berated herself, thinking on all the cruel things he'd done, and undoubtedly would do again. Whereas Rey looked to help others, to help Finn on his mission, Ren lashed out with anger, and uncontrollable rage consuming him. Yes, herself and Ren may share some basic emotions, but what was birthed of them could not be farther apart.

So, yes, the man behind that mask truly was a monster.

… A handsome monster, but a monster nonetheless.

 _Ghaw! Stop thinking that!_ Rey commanded herself, even as a smirk dashed across her lips against her will. As the hours had stretched on (at this point she was sure it had been at least six hours since Kylo Ren had stormed off), she had started losing the ability to stop herself from thinking about her captors surprising good looks. But, then again, that was most likely because there had been next to no good looking people at all on Jakku. So, her fascination with him was perfectly natural. Or, at least that was how she had defended it in her mind.

But, as yet another hour passed, and she slowly thought less about his jaw line, and more about his sinister power, she racked her brain for stories of the mysterious Sith. She knew little had ever been known about them since their supposed extinction centuries ago, and so, unlike the Jedi, they weren't ever talked about as she grew up on Jakku. Never before had she wished so much to have paid more attention to gossip.

She knew the Galactic Empire had been built upon the same practices of the ancient Sith Empire, and led by the last two Sith Lords- the Emperor, and the powerful Darth Vader, who, from whispered legends she had learned had been not only a former Jedi, but Luke Skywalker's own father. As a child, she hadn't been sure whether or not Luke was myth, but now, she knew he was real- as real as all of it, according to Han Solo, whom she also didn't know truly existed.

Her thoughts were cut short when she sensed a dark presence approaching, and knew it was Kylo Ren before the door even opened.

The mysterious man, mask adorned, walked in quickly, the only sound being his boots thudding against the floor heavily, almost angrily.

"Come to retrieve the map again?" Rey taunted, her voice sounding weak against her will. Ren said nothing, merely raising his hand to her head, causing her to once more fall unconscious.

 _ **-Kylo Ren-**_

Beneath his mask, Kylo Ren smirked as Rey was cut silent by his power, gloating over his power against her. He unharnessed her and picked her up just as easily as he had in the woods, carrying her through the winding passages of the section of Starkiller Base she had been held in. The Supreme Leader had been quite clear- sway the scavenger to their side, in anyway possible. His hunt for Skywalker halted, he now had full control over Rey's life. In that, the Supreme Leader had also been quite clear. If the girl proved too unwilling, too impossible to seduce, Ren was to terminate her, immediately. As appetizing as that sounded, he was quite sure that would not be necessary. Eventually, the power the dark side presented would be enough to seduce anyone. Even her.

 _Even Han Solo's own son._ Kylo Ren thought, smirking and scowling at the memory of Ben Solo. He had been weak, and foolish. Just like his father.

Ren carried Rey onto his personal starship, which carried the two to the far north of the planet, near the dark forests Ren often used for training. A small facility, recently finished and built specifically for Ren and other top First Order officials, was to be used for Rey's containment and eventual training, Ren decided. He smiled to himself. He was already sure he was Skywalker's better with a lightsaber, and now, he would prove his masterfulness as a teacher. He looked down at Rey as he entered the facility, it's walls as uniform as the rest of Starkiller Base, stormtroopers marching on patrol besides him. She would make a fine apprentice, of that Kylo Ren was sure. Unlike Darth Sidious, and Darth Plagueis before him, going back for a millennia, the Sith had practiced the Rule of Two, determining that only two could exist, a master, and an apprentice. But, under Supreme Leader Snoke, and along with the growing First Order, the new Sith Empire would be born. Soon, Ren imagined, countless Sith would rule the galaxy, underneath Snoke, and alongside Ren. He smiled wider now.

Yes, yes Rey would make a fine apprentice.

He carried her into the quarters' he had determined she would reside in, just down the corridor from his own, before setting her down upon the small, grey bed. The silver walls were blank, and the three small light fixtures upon the ceiling lighted the room well enough, although it was far from warm. Not that Ren was complaining, as the stagnant environment worked well to access the dark side. He took a seat besides the bed in front of the small, metallic desk, before his eyes, hidden behind his mask, fell upon Rey.

She certainly was beautiful, Ren thought. Unlike the Jedi, who shunned any kind of physical attraction, the Sith were taught to use their passion, their emotions, their feelings to aid their hunt for power. And, Rey certainly spurred a number of emotions within him. Attraction and annoyance seemed to be the two most dominant. She was very fiery, and she that fieriness could become her greatest weapon, once she succumbed to the dark side. Ren could practically see her before him, eyes alive with rage and passion as she helped him to eradicate the Resistance and bring the First Order to power across the whole of the galaxy.

Unable to resist the urge, he tapped into her mind as she slept.

Surprisingly, she did not dream of freedom, but of her former life of slavery. A sour taste entered Ren's mouth at the very thought of a life of serfdom. Some were foolish enough to compare Ren's own status as that of a slave, but in the eyes of Kylo, he was far from such a post. Supreme Leader Snoke, who Kylo frequently idolized, had given him power, training, and had lifted the wool from his eyes and shown him the benevolence of the dark side, and the true evil and treachery of the Resistance and of the New Republic. To Kylo Ren, Snoke was more a god than a man. He would never betray his master, and he was sure Snoke would never betray him.

Back in the sleeping mind of Rey, Kylo watched from a distance as she meticulously scrubbed clean some piece of hardware she had scavenged from what he guessed to be a derelict Star Destroyer. Her eyes, beneath furrowed brows, watched as she scrubbed it clean, or at least as clean as the desert world would allow, before her eyes lifted up to watch as a star cruiser took off into the sky in the distance. Ren turned his head, still hidden beneath his mask, and watched as the cruiser rose into space before fading into nothingness. He was perched atop the hill like a bird of prey, donning his sinister black robes, and when he turned his head back to her, their eyes locked and she resisted the urge to scream. She fell back out of her chair as the world turned dark around her, before she awoke, sending them both flying back into consciousness.

 _ **-Rey-**_

She awoke with a start, her breathing shallow as her head throbbed with pain. Her eyes instantly flew to the man seated besides her, and she stumbled backwards, nearly falling off the other side of the hard, uncomfortable bed.

"Where am I?" She asked instantly, irritated for having to ask that twice in one day.

"Your new quarters." Ren said, his voice gnarled by the mask.

"You were in my head as I slept." She accused, her voice angry.

"Or perhaps you were merely dreaming of me." He taunted. Before Rey could retort, which she very much wanted to, Ren spoke up once more.

"You will stay here from now on. Tomorrow, your training begins." He declared, even as anger and bile rose up in Rey's throat.

"I'll never help you. I'll never join the First Order." She made her own declaration.

"You need a teacher." Ren said as he stood up, before taking off his mask. He had already formed a plan- clearly, the scavenger before him seemed more accessible to him when he was without his beloved helm, and he intended to make _her_ come to _him_ , so for now, he would lead down the path of the dark side as a man, not a monster. "I can show you the ways of the Force, train you to be powerful."

Rey was disgusted. "You'll show me the dark side. I don't want power. I don't want any of it." Suddenly, Ren's face twisted in anger, and fear replaced anger within Rey's mind.

"I wasn't asking, desert rat." Within the short amount of time Rey had known him, she had determined a few things regarding Kylo Ren- the biggest being his very quick temper and brash, emotional mood swings. He was very much the opposite of the cool, controlled wrath of Lord Vader that she had heard about as a child.

Turning, Ren strided out of the quarters, the door closing and loudly locking behind him, leaving Rey alone, again.

She looked around. Besides the bed she sat upon, and the small desk and chair besides it, the room was totally empty, besides a door on the far end that led into the bathroom, she assumed. Standing, she walked to the door that Kylo had exited from, only to find it, just as she had suspected, locked. Huffing to herself, she tried her best to reach out with the Force. She could sense, still a strange, foreign feeling, but all the while natural and familiar, that there was life nearby, in the form of numerous stormtroopers, but they were all too far away to even begin to garner any kind of connection too. Pressing her head against the wall she slid down it, slinking onto the floor, feeling very much downtrodden. She gave herself only a few moments of self-pity before she shook her head, eager to find a way to escape.

There was always a way. Of that, she was sure.

After a quick shower, which was something she found very strange, coming from a planet where a single liter of water was a luxury, she donned her own clothes once more, ignoring the First Order robes Ren had left her. She wrinkled her nose at the very sight of them; she would rather walk around in rags than where anything hailing from the monsters that had committed such atrocities in the past.

There was no window in her quarters, so she had no semblance of what time it was, but she was sure she had been asleep for some time, as she was now very awake, and her brain ran over multiple scenarios of escape.

None of them lasted long.

She sighed, before admitting to herself that escape would only come once she had found her way out of the room Ren had imprisoned her in. Thankfully, she thought to herself, that would be soon, as Ren's promise of training was soon to be fulfilled. Only a few hours after her shower, in which she spent her time trying to imagine what kind of man would voluntarily choose such a life as the one Kylo Ren had, he entered the small chambers, the door sliding shut behind his imposing form.

She had been sitting on the ground toying with her fingers absentmindedly when he barged in, his tall frame startling her even as she cursed herself for not sensing him draw near. He was without his helmet, but his robes were still adorned, and his raven hair flowed down evenly, framing his face, and making his skin, untouched by the sun, seem even paler, even more ghostlike.

 _Like a phantom._ Rey thought as he stood over her.

' _Soon, you will learn to guard your thoughts, scavenger.'_ Suddenly, Ren's voice invaded her mind, his words echoing behind her eyes, as loud as her own thoughts.

' _H-How…?'_ Rey began, stumbling to her feet.

' _The dark side is the pathway to many abilities. This is but one I will teach you.'_ Ren took a step to her side, beginning to circle her, the door locking loudly as he stepped away. ' _Let me show you.'_ He reached forward, his gloved hand only a few feet from her face. She tried to resist his advances, but he angrily forced his way into her mind, and soon her eyes were clouded with visions, and she found herself standing amidst a field of boulders. The ground was an ashy rey, and the sky was completely covered in fog and dark clouds. Rey looked around her frantically, knowing this wasn't real, that this was merely an apparition, another trick by Ren. But somehow, she felt that no matter her own resistance, this was as real herself.

Suddenly, Ren stepped out from the fog, standing only a few yards away.

"You're strong with the Force, Rey." He called. Suddenly, he raised his arms slightly, and the boulders around himself lifted into the air, a few feet at first, and then, nearly as high as he was tall, then, he released his arms, and they came crashing onto the ground with a thunderous clap. "But until you give into the dark, you will never be strong enough!"

"I am strong enough to resist you!" She bit out, and suddenly he lunged forward, seemingly flying forward until he was just in front of her, his saber in hand, but unignited.

"You are just a scavenger, and I am-"

"A pawn in the First Order's game." She suddenly spat out, surprised by her own courage. With a flash of anger, he ignited his blade, before they were both jerked out of their shared vision. Ren was leaning against the wall as Rey fell onto the ground, her breathing heavy. One look at Ren's face told her he was having trouble recovering from the apparition too.

"You are a stupid girl. And I will break you. Everything you are, everything you care about. All of it will be destroyed beneath me. And then, when there is nothing left, the dark side will mold you. When you are powerless to stop it. I offered an invitation for you to join me, but now I see the truth. You must be broken. Soon, Rey, you will be dead. All your hopes and dreams scattered. And from your death will come another Rey. One unable to resist the power of the dark side." Ren stood straight up as chills shot up and down Rey's spine, a cold sweat covering her fear-ridden body. Ren scowled at her. "You are weak, girl." For a brief moment, she felt him enter her mind, before a wicked, cruel smile adorned his lips. "It is no wonder why your family left you on Jakku all those years ago. You are worthless." With that, he turned and left as one, and then two, and then a river of tears streaked down Rey's cheeks.

Kylo Ren, she knew in that moment, was an unredeemable monster. But, if he truly was such a monster, why did she feel guilt tug at the back of his mind as he hastily retreated from her quarters?

 _ **-Kylo Ren-**_

Kylo Ren stood outside the door to Rey's quarters, his fists clenched and his breathing shaky as he forced his eyes shut. He should have been filled with glee at having broken that girl's resolve. Her tears should have brought him joy. But rather than that, all he felt was sadness. Her feeling of loneliness was no different than his own, and when he spoke of her worthlessness, he knew in the darkest corners of his own psyche, he feared for his own worth.

His forced vision had been cut short, not by himself, but by her. He could tell she hadn't meant to do it, nor did she even realize she had done it, but she had. Once again, she had bested him.

But instead of feeling that vengeance was his at having caused her to cry, he wanted more than anything to apologize.

 _Apologize!?_ He practically screamed at himself for such a thought. That was ridiculous, that was beneath him! That was…

 _The right thing to do._ A voice told him. A voice he thought he had silenced forever.

That was the voice of Ben Solo.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note-**_

 _ **Hey! Huge thanks to everyone who has favorited/followed the story so far, it really does mean a lot! Please feel free to drop a review and tell me how you think I'm doing. Sorry this chapter is shorter than the last, but the next one will be a big one, so I think that will make up for it. Any questions or comments, go on ahead and PM me or just leave it in a review.**_

 _ **Much love,**_

 _ **Dr. Malcolm 112**_

 **-Rey-**

Rey didn't see Kylo Ren for nearly six days after their encounter. Far be it from her to know that monster's reasoning, but that was the way it was. She was fine with his absence- at first.

It started off like a small, quiet hum in the back of her mind, a tug almost, a small, very indistinct voice. But then as one day became two, and she fell into a monotonous routine of tedium, wherein she would wrinkle her nose and bile would come to her throat as she dejectedly downed the food the small servant droid brought her- nearly worse than the food she had ate for the past fifteen years of her life on Jakku- before exercising, taking a short shower, and then passing the hours by trying and failing to determine what Ren was trying to do. Was he trying to break her? If that was his ploy, he was to fail miserably. Isolation wasn't ever going to work. Fifteen years of loneliness hadn't broken her spirit, and neither would a week in this room, which was actually quite comfortable compared to her previous home in the wreck of an Imperial Walker.

But, soon that quiet whisper became a very loud, very obnoxious voice telling her that, despite his cruelty, Rey was… Curious, for lack of a better word. Curious at who Kylo Ren really was.

It was clear to her that he was far from finished with his own training. From his angry outbursts to his lack of mastery with warding her off from tapping into his own mind, it was obvious he was still an apprentice himself. But, his master seemed to trust in Ren's abilities enough to bid him to seduce Rey to the dark side.

She snickered to herself as she sat cross legged on the floor at the foot of her bed. She would never give in. Never.

 **-Kylo Ren-**

She would give in. Soon.

Kylo Ren had avoided her for nearly a week. He told himself he avoided her company because he was needed elsewhere- which was true. More than once, General Hux had requested him to some tedious task or another.

And Starkiller Base always had some business to be attended to. But deep down, he knew the true reason he didn't visit her-

She hard awoken a part of him, buried deep down within him, a part filled with compassion, a part known as Ben Solo. For months he had fought with the light, but now, the closer he got to her, the more prominent it became.

He wanted to be free of this pain. This inner struggle hard turned into a war that raged behind eyes, tearing his mind apart. The light and dark side were like two armies that fought tooth and nail for every scrap of him they could, and soon, Ren feared, there would be nothing left of him to be fought over.

 _But soon, soon Rey will be ours, and I will finally destroy the Resistance, the New Republic, and all that remains of Ben Solo will wither away, wilting like a flower ripped from the soil._ He smiled beneath the mask. _Yes. Rey will be ours._ His eyes darkened beneath his helm. _She will be mine._

Having decided that he had avoided her for long enough, and with a new feeling of desire welling up inside him, he stalked through the corridors of the facility towards her quarters. He was, as much as he refused to admit it, eager to see her; for purely sound reasons, of course. Today, he would again begin her training, and show her the depth of his power with the dark side. She had shown no previous signs of lusting for power, but Kylo Ren was sure this was just a facade. The young warrior had met many people in his time as Supreme Leader Snoke's apprentice, and all of them had yearned for power, like an animal desperate to find food. Surely this girl was no different.

He approached her quarters and the door unlocked and opened, bid so by a simple wave of his hand. Stepping in, the door locking behind him, he found Rey sitting cross legged on her bed, concentrated on the door on the far end of the room, her hand extended and her eyes closed.

 _She's trying to open it._ He smirked at her. With a simple blink of his eye, the Force pulsed out of him in a small wave and the door slid open with an electronic hiss. Rey, still not having noticed him, opened her eyes and a brilliant smile flashed across her face.

"I did it!" She practically shouted, before she jumped up onto the ground and spun around… Only to find Kylo Ren smirking at her, having once more left his mask behind.

"Good job." He said, in a very neutral manner.

Rey's eyes were wide open as she looked at him.

"How long have you…" She trailed off, taken back by how she had not heard or sensed his arrival.

"Long enough." He said, taking a step towards her, causing her to take two steps back, hitting the wall. "That was good work." He said, pointing towards the door at the far end of the wall.

"Thanks…" She said quietly, unknowing that she hadn't hard anything to do with the door opening, a look of confusion on her face.

 _Stupid girl can't even take a compliment._

"Yes I can!" She blurted out, her face hot.

Ren was about to retort when he realized he hadn't said that aloud.

"How long have you been probing around in my thoughts?" Ren questioned suddenly, his voice low, in stark contrast with his original, passive tone.

"I-I…" She was suddenly lost for words, which surprised Ren.

"Lost you fighting spirit? Shame. That was the one thing separating you from the rats on that junkyard you called home." Ren taunted, wanting to get her angry, to see the rage coursing through her. But instead of seeing her eyes turn dark and her teeth grit, she merely stayed quiet, her face calm. Ren could see her battling to stay rational and unemotive. In her credit, she had trained well in the past week. The girl he had originally held captive would have been seething at him already.

 _Oh, are you challenging me girl?_

Ren smiled. First lessons, it seemed.

He quickly crossed the room until he was pinning her to wall, his left hand pressed against the wall besides her as his right was extended just inches before her face.

"You're strong enough to enter my mind when I'm unguarded, but I am still your better, scavenger." Within an instant, he was in her head, his brows furrowed as he saw images of Jakku; a derelict Star Destroyer; and then, suddenly, he aboard the Millennium Falcon, FN-2187 and that droid besides Rey, and…

"Father…" Ren muttered without thinking. The sight of Han Solo had taken him by surprise, but it wasn't that which caused him to mutter out the word. It was the sight of him smiling at Rey, of that feeling of warmth that he emanated.

 _He had never been such a way with me. Him, and that_ _ **woman.**_ _Organa cast me out to that pitiful Skywalker's Academy, and Solo did nothing to stop her._

 _I hate them. As long as blood coursed through my veins, so would my hatred._

' _They are your parents.'_ Rey's voice, soft and almost sad, was suddenly at the forefront of Ren's mind as he turned away from her. ' _You're Han Solo's son.'_

' _Their son was named Ben. He was weak and foolish, just like his father. And so I destroyed him.'_ Even in his own mind, Kylo Ren sounded unsure of himself.

' _You tell yourself that, but even you don't believe it.'_ Rey was almost numb from such a revelation. That numbness quickly faded when her mind was suddenly filled with a hot, raging torrent of rage and hurt and suffering.

"I hate them!" Ren shouted aloud, and thought venomously at the same time, turning back towards her, his eyes burning red with anger. Rey dropped to her knees as she was filled with all the dark, twisted emotions that had been like Ren's lifeblood for so long. "Han Solo never loved me. I was a disappointment to him, and to that self-righteous Organa. And I always knew how Luke looked at me. He didn't trust me. He never trusted me. They drove me to this! If I am evil, it is they that are to be blamed, not me!" Ren's voice boomed as he continued on, until he finally stopped, pausing, his breathing heavy. Rey looked up, the rage and hatred washing away like a river, until all that was left was the hurt. "They never loved me." His voice was quiet then, and his eyes looked lost, and for a moment, Rey was sure she wasn't alone with Kylo Ren, but with another man. Before her, for just a moment, stood Ben Solo, alone and lost in the galaxy, just like Rey had been when she had been left on Jakku all those years ago. But then, Ben was gone, and Kylo Ren scowled. "I'll have my revenge on them. All of them."

He turned away from her then, stiffening his back as he looked at the wall.

"I'm sorry." Rey said quietly. For several moments, Ren was sure he had heard her wrong. "I wanted to hate my family for abandoning me. I never could though. I'm happy I don't. Happy that I never gave in to the temptation to. But it was there, not all the time, but sometimes, at night, after scavenging all day just to barely make enough portions to eat again for the first time in days. I wished I could hate them for leaving me there, but I never did."

Ren turned around and looked at her, confusion twisting his brow. "Why not?" He questioned sincerely, his voice soft, and curious.

"They must have their reasons." Rey said softly.

After a few moments, Ren scowled angrily, a bitter taste whetting his palate at the thought. "You're just weak."

"I don't think I'm the weak one." Rey said, not as an insult, but as a simple statement. "You're letting hate rule you. Resist! Don't let the mistakes of others dictate your path." She said, stepping towards him. Before he could move away, she placed her hand on his arm, a surprising movement that threw him severely off guard.

"I have chosen my own path." He said, his voice weak.

"You're father made a mistake, and because of it you've made your own. That is what makes you and him both human." She said, before Ren suddenly, angrily, push himself away from her.

"You are a stupid girl! You know nothing of the dark side!" Suddenly, he was once more in her head, showing her the power the dark side held. His silent pleas to Darth Vader hard fallen on deaf ears, but over the years as Snoke's apprentice, he had seen visions of the dark side, one such vision being the duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar. He had marveled at their skill, angry at his own dwarfed skill with a lightsaber, and the first time he saw their blades cross, he vowed he would one day be the greatest saber master in the galaxy. And now, as all Kylo Ren could feel was the sinister rage that Vader seemed to be surrounded by, Rey could only feel the hope, hidden and damaged but still very alive, within Obi-Wan. Rey wished she could know more about the two, but she could easily tell Kenobi did not want to fight the man he dueled with. One could not tell from the younger man, but it was clear to Rey, sensing Obi-Wan's turmoil, that the two had once been dear friends. She wondered if Luke felt like that, watching as his own nephew turned to the dark side.

 **-Rey-**

She closed her eyes, and willed the vision to stop. Suddenly, she was once more in her quarters, and Ren stood before her, his dark eyes looking down at her.

"I'll never join the dark side, Kylo Ren. I don't want power. I can see it in your eyes you don't believe me, but it's true." After a few silent moments, she spoke again. "Kill me if you must, but know I'll never join you when you serve someone as evil as Snoke." Silently, she felt only sadness for the man before her. He done terrible things, but now she could see it wasn't because he was a power hungry, bloodthirsty monster like the First Order's Supreme Leader, but because he had been a misunderstood young man, forced into a life he hadn't wished for. He was far from innocent, and eventually, she knew he would have to pay for his crimes, but Rey simply hoped that eventually, he would know some kind of peace.

Ren's face twisted in confusion, before he turned and walked out of her quarters, his robes billowing behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

_**-Rey-**_

Rey spent the rest of the day assuming it was going to be her last. She had made it obvious she would never turn to the dark side; so, what reason could Ren possibly have for keeping her alive?

The revelation that he was Han Solo's son had been… Surprising, to say the least. She wondered what he had been like as a child, when he still called himself Ben. Had he always carried such darkness and anger in him, or had there been a time when he was simply a carefree boy, going through life unaware of the darkness his future held?

Rey had never had a real childhood. The closest thing to a friend she had before Finn arrived on Jakku was the thatch doll she had made herself when she was still just a little girl. She didn't know why, but sitting in her quarters, silence hanging heavily on the air, thinking about that doll made her very sad.

 _I don't want to die._ She thought to herself, tears pricking at her eyes.

' _You won't. Not today.'_ Kylo Ren's voice spoke into her mind as the door opened and he stepped into her room, his mask covering his face and his robes donned. In the back of her mind, Rey chastised herself for once more not sensing him coming nearby. She quickly stood up, hastily rubbing her eyes, hoping he hadn't seen the tears that had previously been there.

"I will be leaving soon. I don't know how long I will be gone." Ren's voice, alien to her ears through the mask, spoke, his words quick and impersonal.

"Where are you going?" Rey asked, suddenly fearing the First Order had found the location of the Resistance.

"You'll be pleased to hear I have no idea where your lying, thieving friends are. I have other business to attend to." Kylo Ren said, sensing her fear.

Rey nodded, standing stock still. "Good luck, then." Her voice was hard, angered by his words. Without another word, Ren turned and left. But, as he walked away, Rey heard his voice in her head.

' _Don't try anything stupid while I am away, scavenger.'_

Rey smirked.

 _ **-Kylo Ren-**_

Kylo Ren stalked down the corridors towards the hangar bay of the facility he had made his residence in since Rey's capture. His command shuttle awaited him, it's destination already put into the hyperdrive.

Since his last meeting with Rey, when she had discovered the truth of his parentage, General Hux had tasked him with some miniscule mission or another. Beneath his mask, Ren scowled at the very thought of the red-haired leader of the First Order's military. Along with Captain Phasma, the short-tempered leader of the First Order's legions of stormtroopers, Hux and Ren made up the triumvirate that led the First Order in the name of the Supreme Leader. None of them particularly cared for eachother. One day, Ren knew, they would betray him or each other. Ren just hoped that day would be soon. More than once he had dreamed of running Hux through with his saber.

Ren boarded his command shuttle, several stormtroopers following behind him, and took a seat in co-pilot's chair at the bridge.

"Awaiting your command, sir." The pilot said, looking at Ren. He simply nodded, and the pilot took off, flying into atmosphere before making the jump into hyperspace.

Ren didn't particularly care what the mission was, or why he was off to some farflung system in the Outer Rim, but he remembered the general summary Hux had given him. A First Order outpost had been harassed by local villagers, and apparently this was worthy enough of Ren's supervision. Once more, he scowled. Hux simply had taken the opportunity to have Ren sent halfway across the galaxy from his technological terror. He leaned back into his chair, rubbing his wrist absentmindedly with his gloved hand. He didn't want to admit it, but he hated being so far away from Rey. He had grown very accustomed to the calming ecstasy that came from being near her. Being so far away from her felt like being without an anchor, without any tether to reality. Everything around him was like a blur, a piece of poorly done artwork. He closed his eyes, and willed himself to see into her mind. He knew the chances were slim, and that he was much too far away, but he tried regardlessly.

Suddenly, he was standing in the heart of a forest, the greens and brown blurred at first, but slowly, they came into clear view. He could feel the warm wind blow against his unmasked face, and he suddenly realised this was the forest on Takodana where Ren first met Rey. But, unlike at their first meeting, Ren didn't feel anger or hatred or conflict in his heart. He simply felt at peace. As if, once more, he truly was Ben Solo. Ben could feel Rey's presence nearby, and quickly realised that this was Rey's dream. But, besides her, he sensed another presence, a much darker force drawing near. He turned, and watched as he came into view.

Standing before him was himself, clad in his sinister black robes and wearing his dark mask, his brilliant crimson blade in hand.

"Ben! Ben, run!" A voice called to him, and unthinking, he ignited his own lightsaber, a beautiful green blade roaring to life in his hand. Ben smiled. He had missed his old saber for many years. Kylo Ren pointed his red blade at him.

"That lightsaber… It belongs to me!" He declared. Ben gripped it firmly in his hands.

"You aren't welcome here, Ren!" Ben could practically hear Ren scowl beneath his mask. Kylo Ren charged him, swinging his blade wildly at Ben, who stepped back and blocked the mad attacks easily. He could feel the dark, twisted emotions running throughout Ren's body and mind, all of which translated into his wild attacks. Ben blocked his attacks and pushed him several feet back with ease, whirling his blade back and forth.

"Where are they? Where are the Resistance leaders?!" Ren growled beneath his mask.

"You will have to get through me before you reach them, monster." Ben said cockily, feeling his lightsaber hum in his hand. Once more, Ren charged him, his swings lazy and his defense nearby-nonexistent.

Even as he fought, Ben could tell something wasn't right. Ren's temper was legendary, but even in combat, he was never this passionate, this non-refined. Ben swung against Kylo's leg, catching his knees and dropping him as Ren howled with pain, before Ben's blade flew against his mask. Ren fell back several feet, his breathing labored as his lightsaber flew away from him. Ben's lightsaber dis-ignited with a quiet _whoosh_ as he stepped down besides his foe. His hand reached behind Ren's neck, and he cradled his head as he lifted Ren's face into view… Only to find that it wasn't Kylo Ren's face behind the half destroyed mask, but Rey's.

Kylo Ren jerked away aboard the bridge of his command shuttle, his breathing heavy. The pilot besides him payed him no mind, not wishing to raise the ire of the fiery warrior.

Ren quickly retreated back to his personal quarters near the aft of the shuttle. Just like his quarters on Starkiller Base, they were totally uniform and dull, and he took a seat besides the clean, undecorated steel desk.

 _That was nothing but a nightmare._ Ren declared. _A fear-ridden imagining by Rey._

 _But what if it had truly happened? What if Rey had succumbed to the dark side, only to become as twisted as the monster Snoke has made me?_

Ren was taken back by his own treacherous mind.

 _No, no the Resistance are the monsters, and the New Republic as well. They are all thieves and liars, working against order and peace and supporting chaos and deviancy._

 _But Rey isn't a liar._ Ren thought, taking his mask off before pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, his mind swirling. _She's kind and just and as honest a person as I have ever met._

 _And she is ruining me._

Ren sighed loudly to himself.

 _ **-Rey-**_

Rey was startled awake, her nightmare sending shivers run up and down her spine. She had seen herself as Kylo Ren, a monster wielding a crimson blade, furiously hunting down the Resistance. Fury had fueled her hunt before she saw him. Ben Solo. Standing bravely alone in the forest, a magnificent green blade coming alive in his hands as he courageously fought her.

It had seemed so _real._ As real as everything that had happened to her in the past few weeks. More real, even.

Her breathing was shaky as she rose from the bed.

 _I can't ever let that happen. I won't._ The dark side could call to her for the rest of her days, but she would never answer it. No matter the cost, Rey would stay the course.

That was when she felt a presence drawing near. A stormtrooper, a lone one, walking by her door. An idea suddenly sprang into her mind. She closed her eyes and willed herself into his mind. She found little resistance.

' _You will unlock this door and leave with it open.'_ A few moments later, she heard the stormtrooper repeat her words aloud, before the door unlocked and opened. The stormtrooper began to turn around and leave, before she made another demand.

"And you'll drop your weapon!" She said hurriedly.

" _And_ I'll drop my weapon." The trooper echoed before dropping his blaster lazily.

Rey smiled widely, proud of herself for her ability to trick the stormtrooper, before she hastily moved forward and collected the blaster, and, after checking no other First Order personnel were near, she stealthily crept down the corridor away from her quarters.

It took her a long time to find her way to the hangar, but she ultimately made it. Less than a dozen pilots and stormtroopers made their way around the docking bay, and Rey realized she wasn't at the main facility of the First Order's headquarters. She hard already realized she wasn't on board any kind of star destroyer, but now she saw Ren had taken her to a smaller facility. Regardless of where she was, though, she knew she needed to make her escape- and quickly. Ren had said he didn't know how long he would be gone, meaning any minute he could be returning.

She didn't trust that she could fly a TIE fighter, which seemed to be the only kind of starship present. She was about to take her chances and make a break for one when she noticed a small freighter, likely used for transporting troops or supplies, docked on the far side of the hangar bay. She smiled. Now that, she could fly. Ducking behind a crate of munitions, she began making her way around the hangar, her blaster firmly grasped in her hands as her eyes darted back and forth across the bay.

 _ **-Kylo Ren-**_

Kylo Ren's command shuttle suddenly appeared in the night sky over the small village, echoing the very scene in which Ren's force had stormed the Jakku village, and taken Poe Dameron prisoner. The fighting here was even shorter than then.

Kylo Ren descended the steps onto the marshy ground of the rainforest-covered planet, his robes flowing around him like a phantom as stormtroopers fired back and forth across the village. He marched forward, deflecting stray bolts with his lightsaber, his eyes scanning for any of his numerous targets.

A stormtrooper stepped towards him. "Sir! The village had harbored the targets, but they escaped before we made our landing."

Kylo Ren sighed angrily beneath his mask. "The Resistance aided their departure."

"Yes, sir, it appears that wa-" The stormtrooper began, before Ren cut him off.

"I know it does." The stormtrooper was silent for several moments.

"What about the villagers?" Kylo Ren was instantly reminded of that Jakku village he had completely slaughtered. He saw their faces, felt the fear they felt in their final moments. He was disgusted with himself, with what he had become.

"Leave them. We're returning to Starkiller Base. Now." He choked out, his voice sounding weak even with the mask on.

"Sir?" The stormtrooper asked, surprised.

"We're returning! Now!" Ren shouted, turning and stalking back to his ship.

Rey was right. Ben Solo refused to die, even despite all the evil Kylo Ren had committed.

 _ **-Rey-**_

Rey sat aboard the bridge of the empty First Order freighter. Lucky enough for her, the ship was prepped for launch, and filled with all manner of ammunition, fuel cells, and rations. Rey mused it was likely cleared for a departure as well, seeing as it was ready for a voyage. She smiled to herself, amazed at her luck. In the back of her head though, she doubted that was just mere luck.

She sat down at the helm and got acquainted with the controls. She assumed she would have only a matter of seconds after taking off before someone realized what was happening, so she would need all the help she could get. With a final shaky breath, she turned the freighter on, and it roared to life and took off, flying out of the hangar with a loud thrust. As she expected, it only took a matter of seconds before laser-turrets from the facility began firing at her, but, with the help of the Force, she easily dodged them, before she took a page out of Han Solo's handbook and made the jump into hyperspace while still in orbit. As the cabin lurched forward, she exhaled and smiled to herself once more.

"Getting pretty good at this." She leaned back, and suddenly became very melancholy. She felt as if her heart and mind were being torn back and forth in some kind of tug-of-war, like her soul was the battleground of some great war. "It's Kylo Ren. This must be how he feels." Rey frowned sadly, her pride forgotten. It amazed her how alike and still very different they were. Not for the first time, she sincerely wished she had known Ben Solo. "Maybe I could have done something to save him." She said aloud, her voice quiet. She shook her head. She had work to do. She was sure the First Order could easily track this ship, so as soon as she found another inhabited planet, she would jump ship and find other passage to the Illeenium system, where she remembered BB-8 had said the Resistance was based. She just hoped they were still there.

 _ **-Kylo Ren-**_

"No… No!" The master of the Knights of Ren shouted angrily as his lightsaber sliced through the wall of Rey's empty quarters. "She left… She escaped!" He roared, angry at her departure.

"Sir?" The stormtrooper behind him began, before Ren whirled about and sent the trooper crashing into the wall of the corridor, his armor cracking against the steel of the grey wall. Ren hastily stalked out, shouting commands to the passing stormtroopers.

"Find her! Now!"

Behind him, he heard Captain Phasma approaching. "Sir! A freighter left hangar bay four unpermitted only several minutes ago. We believe she was aboard. Our tracking says she is bound for Tatooine."

"She's going to find new passage to the Resistance base." Ren deduced, not even needing the aid of the Force to predict her actions.

"I'll send two squads after her-" Phasma began, before Ren cut her off.

"No! I'll see to it personally." Turning back towards his pilot, Ren spoke again, his voice very menacing beneath his mask. "Prepare my shuttle for launch. Now."

It only took a few minutes before Ren's command shuttle hard launched once more and was hurtling through hyperspace towards Tatooine. He assumed it had been purely because the planet was greatly like Jakku, and easy to avoid any unwanted attention, that had drove Rey to head there instead of any of the other planets that could have been her place to search for new craft, but to Ren, it was the perfect opportunity to prove his worthiness as Darth Vader's successor. Vader had grown up on the desert planet, and now, Kylo Ren would be destroying the last of the boy he had once been amid the Jundland Wastes. If Rey refused to bow to the dark side, then he would have to kill her. It was the only way. And along with her, Ben Solo would also die.

"Sir?" The pilot asked from behind him at the entrance to his quarters where he sat meditating. "Supreme Leader Snoke requests an audience."

Ren growled. "I'll update him as soon as possible."

Ren could sense the pilot was about to insist. "You are dismissed!"

The pilot hastily walked off.


End file.
